


my heart

by legendofkuvira (jephaway)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 15:31:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11210955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jephaway/pseuds/legendofkuvira
Summary: Remembering hurts, but memories are as powerful as any magic. Taako has a breakdown. The Umbrastaff has a mind of its own. SPOILERS for Ep 65





	my heart

The three of them resurface from their memories the same way that you might expect a person to stumble out of a bar. Taako feels a sense of dread grow in his stomach as he remembers everything, including Lup and her condition. The umbrastaff stirs in Taako’s hand and he lets it fall to the floor, that sick feeling growing, expanding, consuming. His palms grow sweaty and he begins to panic. He doesn’t just remember the ceremony, he remembers Lup’s backup plan. He remembers the _staff_.

Taako’s hands cover his mouth as he chokes out a sob. Not only had he forgotten Lup, but he had been carrying her with him this whole time and never known. All the times the staff acted on its own, or defended him, had been Lup protecting him. A tear rolls down his face and Taako is instantly enveloped in Magnus’s arms.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Taako.” Magnus says as he smooths down Taako’s hair. “We all… we all lost something with this. We all _forgot_ something.”

Taako pushes Magnus away and furiously wipes the tears from his face, embarrassed that he was even crying to begin with. “It’s not just about the _time_ , Magnus! It’s- it’s like, sure, you forgot you and Lucretia were BFFs or whatever but I forgot my _fucking sister_. Not even that, I forgot that she’s a _lich_. Do you know what we did like, three days ago Magnus? I used my sister’s staff to _kill a lich_.”

“Taako, please, be reasonable.” Lucretia chimes in.

With a fury none of them have ever seen before, Taako whips around to face Lucretia. Hot, angry tears roll down his cheeks and off the tip of his nose. “You want _me_ to be reasonable? This is _your_ fault! My sister died alone in a cave because, what, you thought it would stop the Hunger from finding us?”

Lucretia swallows the lump in her throat, trying to remain dignified. But when she speaks, her voice cracks. “You don’t think this was hard for me too? You're not the only person who loved her. I am sorry Taako but you can’t blame me for her death.”

“You don’t understand.” Taako shoots back. “Sure, you loved her. We all loved her. But I thought that I spent my childhood _alone_. I thought that- that everything I went through, I went through by myself. I spent years feeling like a piece of me was missing and it was _your_ fault!”

The atmosphere in the room shifts as Taako’s anger heightens. None of them have ever seen Taako be so openly emotional before. Magnus and Merle could often hear quiet sobs through the wall at night, or see the redness around his eyes in the morning, but they’d never seen him shed a tear before. Taako was chill, he was the cool guy. He didn’t freak out. He didn’t get emotional. Nobody was quiet sure what to do. _Lup would have known what to do_.

On the floor at Taako’s feet, the Umbrastaff begins to shake and rattle. Angus grabs the hem of Magnus’s shirt and slides behind him, his voice shaking. “Um, sirs, the staff-“

Taako, and everyone else, look at the staff as it shakes. With gentle hands, Taako reaches down and picks it up, slowly undoing the strap that keeps it closed. As soon as the tension gives way, the umbrella snaps open and from it bursts a ray of bright red light, flooding the room with a rush of wind. Everyone turns away, Magnus gripping Angus close and shielding his eyes, Lucretia attempting to peer through her fingers, Taako attempting to hide behind the canopy of the umbrella. The light fills the entire room and then concentrates in one spot in the center of the room before slowly dissipating. Taako is the first to look, and that feeling of dread is replaced with a new type of anxiety.

Before them, in front of Lucretia’s desk, stands Lup, just as she was- blonde hair falling over her shoulders, crimson robe tied around her shoulders. She looks around the room, dazed and confused, but _alive_. Taako doesn’t say anything as he drops the umbrella, crosses the room, and throws his arms around his sister. Her hair still smells like ash and she hugs just as tight as ever. The others are speechless, watching this reunion together.

“I fucking hate you.” Taako cries. Lup just laughs and gives Taako a tight squeeze. “You _died_. What the fuck, Lulu?”

“ _You_ died too, Taako. A lot, if I remember correctly. So what the fuck yourself?”

As they stand there in a tight embrace, Magnus and Merle approach and wrap their arms around Taako and Lup. Barry and Angus quickly join them, and they stand there, laughing and crying at the same time. Lucretia is the only one who stays back, a hand over her mouth and tears rolling down her cheeks. Lup looks up at Lucretia and laughs.

“Hey, Luc, get in on this.”

Lucretia grips the arm of the chair behind her, unsure of what to do. Everyone was angry with her, rightfully so, and Lup _had_ to know what she did. But Lup still waves her over, and when Lucretia approaches, they make room for her. And it feels like old, old times again.

A family, reunited.

**Author's Note:**

> maybe one day i'll write a taz fic that's more than 1000 words. but in the meantime...
> 
> (( a big thanks to @maegnus on tumblr for always encouraging me ))


End file.
